“You’re not the first,” Nathansaid.
“Excuseme?”
“You’re not thefirst.”
Rafe took the bait, regrettably so. “What do youmean?”
“Eamonn has shagged his fair share ofYanks.”
Rafe rolled his eyes and let out a laugh. He knew Eamonn well enough to know how patently false that was. Anyone who met Eamonn knew that. Was this really the best hehad?
“They come here every year, looking for that authentic British experience, and Eamonn gives them a royalwelcome.”
“Sure.”
“I’m just fucking with you, mate.” Nathan smiled as he drank his beer. “But you really aren’t the first Yank to do this. Plenty of Americans come over here, looking for their very own Mr. Darcy to shag, who by the power of his sexy British accent can pull them out of their suburban, strip mall, moribund existence. And then they leave with a story to tell their sorority sisters back home, of how for a brief moment, their lives wereinteresting.”
“That’s a touching story, Nathan.” Rafe put on a face of apathy, which took everything in him. If only he could’ve thrown Nathan’s beer in his face. Alfie wouldn’t appreciatethat.
“You seem like one of those Yanks. You probably have a poster of Colin Firth hanging in yourbedroom.”
Maybe Alfiewouldn’tmind if I threw a drink in his face. Maybe I’d get a raise.Rafe’s heart rattled in his chest. Adrenaline flowed through his veins. But he would not give in. That was what Nathan wanted. Then it would be easier for Rafe’s flatmates to turn on him. He had to play itcool.
“You’re trying to put on a brave face for me. That’s cute.” Nathan spun a coaster between his fingers. “I’m not trying to hit a nerve. Just making an observation. But the thing you didn’t think about is that Eamonn isn’t a stock character in yourtravelogue.”
“You don’t know what Eamonn is tome.”
“He’s a fun story for you, but those of us who really care about him see a kind soul who doesn’t deserve to be treated like a piece ofmeat.”
“I’m trying not to laugh in your face,” Rafesaid.
“No, I don’t think you want to laugh.” Nathan studied him, like he was going to play Rafe in aperformance.
“You’re being a hypocrite.” Rafe wasn’t as good as Nathan at the cuttingremarks.
Nathan raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Oh, right, because you think I just ditched Eamonn. Because you know everything about what happened, and that makes you fit tocomment.”
“You treated him like a piece of meat. I’m sure you and Hugh Grant had a nice laugh about your ex-boyfriend watching you kiss another guy at theairport.”
A dark cloud settled over Nathan’s eyes. “You shouldn’t talk about that which you don’t understand. What Eamonn and I have is complicated. We have a realbond.”
“We do,too.”
Nathan burst out laughing, and it filled up the entire bar. “Keep telling yourself that, mate. Like I said, I’m trying to look out for Eamonn. If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t do this to him. And I’m looking out for you, too. You don’t seem like the kind of bird who shags forfun.”
“I know what Eamonn and I have. I think you do, too. But nice try with the whole intimidation thing.” Rafe narrowed his eyes at Nathan like an OK Corralshowdown.
Nathan finished his beer and dropped the pint glass on the floor. “You should probably clean that up,runner.”
“Fuck you, asshole,” Rafe said. After Nathan had alreadyleft.
* * *
His hands trembledwith aftershocks from his run-in with Nathan. When he returned to his room, he Facetimed Coop, who was coming back from morning classes. Coop’s jacked up physique was a welcome sight and reminded him ofhome.
He had barely spoken to anyone since he’d been here. It was like traveling to another dimension. That reminded him to email his parents a quick update. (He listed all the boring stuff that he and Coop didn’t discuss, like classes. Parents really cared about what their kids learned.) Rafe caught Coop up on his British escapades, including losing his virginity, getting a job, andNathan.
“Congratulations, that’s amazing, and Nathan’s anasshole.”
